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Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), a member of Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), posted a surplus of $2,078,035 in 2014. The announcement was part of Wednesday’s presentation at the Bradford Club by Timothy J. Finan, President and CEO of BRMC and Upper Allegheny Health System, before an audience of more than 100 community members at the hospital’s Annual Meeting. Finan reported the surplus on hospital revenues of $70,826,456 in 2014. It was the fourth consecutive year BRMC has posted an operating surplus. Finan said the four years of surpluses came after several consecutive years of losses by the hospital prior to the formation of Upper Allegheny Health System. “The formation of Upper Allegheny Health System has provided $4 million of financial benefit annually to our member hospitals,” Finan said in a news release provided to WESB. “Had it not been for the formation of UAHS, our hospitals would no doubt be in a difficult place today.” While pleased with the re...

OLEAN, NY - Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), parent company of Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center, elected its 2015 Board of Directors Officers at the organization’s annual meeting January 28. Five Board members were re-elected to three-year terms. The new officers include: Board Chair, Brenda McGee, Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration, St. Bonaventure University; Vice Chair, Muhammed Javed, M.D., Nephrologist at Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center; Secretary, Richard Roupe, Chief Financial Officer, Zippo Manufacturing Company; Treasurer, Martin Digel, President and CEO, Hamlin Bank and Trust. These individuals were also elected as Board officers of Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center. Prior to her election as Board Chair, Ms. McGee served as Vice Chair of the UAHS Board of Directors, Olean General Hospital Board of Directors and Bradford Regional Medical Center Board of Directors. ...

A man accused of punching a nurse and a doctor at Bradford Regional Medical Center early Saturday morning is in McKean County Jail. According to court records, 23-year-old Chad Reed of Bradford punched a registered nurse in the face several times and gouged her eye, causing swelling and a number of bruises. He also told another nurse he was going to rip her arms off and shove them up her buttocks. The court records also say he punched a doctor in the face, causing a nosebleed and bruising to his nose and lips. Reed also fought with emergency responders before being restrained. Reed is charged with felony counts of aggravated assault, as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct. His bail is set at $50,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Olean General Hospital (OGH) and Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), member hospitals of Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), are following the protocols recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York State Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The potential for seeing an Ebola patient here in our region is very small, but our first obligation is to protect the public and make any and all preparations. Since early August, all CDC information regarding Ebola has been shared with medical staff and Emergency Department staff, including online educational programs for clinical staff. Since the confirmation of the first Ebola patient in the United States on September 30, hospitals across the country, including OGH and BRMC, have been working closely with public health officials, including CDC, and have been providing important information to physicians and clinical staff. UAHS recognizes that the health threat posed b...

OLEAN, NY -- Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS) has announced the appointment of Gail A. Bagazzoli, BSN, RN, to serve as Vice President of Quality for UAHS and member hospitals Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital. Her responsibilities will include oversight of all aspects of quality management, patient safety, performance improvement, risk management and infection control at both hospitals. Mrs. Bagazzoli has served in numerous capacities at Olean General Hospital for nearly 33 years including Infection Prevention and Control Manager, Emergency Department Nurse Manager, Employee Health and Occupation Wellness Center Manager, Manager of Education and Training, and Manager of Nursing Education. Presently, Mrs. Bagazzoli serves as a board member of the Greater Buffalo Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and currently holds the role of President with the Kathi Ward Foundation Board of Directors. Bagazzoli earned her B...

Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), members of the Upper Allegheny Health System, have successfully incorporated the Modified Early Warning System (MEWS) into their existing Electronic Health Records system. MEWS is a scoring system that provides early warning and recognition to nurses and physicians about patients who are deteriorating physically so that appropriate medical interventions can be taken to help prevent cardiac arrests and other sudden life threatening events. The MEWS system signals nurses and physicians to potential patient problems based on the assignment of an aggregate score based upon a patient’s vital signs. Decision support capability embedded within the two hospitals’ electronic health record systems automatically calculates a MEWS score and signals any need for medical interventions. At OGH and BRMC, a MEWS score is calculated for patients based upon multiple vital signs that include: systolic blood pressure, heart rate,...

OLEAN, NY – Olean General Hospital announced today that a careful internal review of hospital insulin pen use raised the possibility that their re-use may have occurred with some patients during the period November 2009 to January 16, 2013. The hospital has not identified a single patient who ever received an insulin injection from another patient’s insulin pen. Hospital officials also emphasized there is no documentation at this time of the transmission of any blood borne infections during the stay of any patient who received insulin from the pens during this period. Nonetheless, hospital officials recommend, as a precautionary measure, that those individuals who received insulin from an insulin pen at Olean General Hospital during the time period be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. The letter to patients also recommends they be retested for HIV three months after their last insulin pen injection at Olean General Hospital and for hepatitis B and hepati...

Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) has announced that Jason Kinkartz, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training in orthopedic sports medicine and experience with NFL and Major League Baseball teams, will join the BRMC staff on September 4. Dr. Kinkartz is re-locating from Denver, CO, and will join BRMC as a member of The Foothills Medical Group. “This is a significant addition to the BRMC medical team and a major plus for the community,” said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Bradford Regional Medical Center. “Dr. Kinkartz brings a wealth of special skills in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine to Bradford and Northwest Pennsylvania.” “We are delighted Dr. Kinkartz chose to come to Bradford. He is very enthusiastic about relocating from Denver, starting his new practice and getting to know the community,” Mr. Finan said. “I am passionate about orthopedics and the pursuit of excellence in the field, which I strive for in both the clinic and operating room,” ...

Daniel McCune, president and CEO of Allegheny Bradford Corp, has been elected chairman of the Upper Allegheny Health System board of directors. McCune was originally appointed to the Bradford Regional Medical Center board of directors in 1999. McCune succeeds David Prince, founder and president of Databranch, Inc., an information technology solutions provider located in Olean, NY. Prince joined the Olean General Hospital board in January 2003, and has served as chairman of the board of directors for Upper Allegheny Health System since its inception in 2009. Other officers elected at the annual meeting of the UAHS board of directors include: Vice Chair, Brenda McGee; senior vice president, finance and administration, St. Bonaventure University Treasurer, Martin Digel; president and CEO, Hamlin Bank and Trust Secretary, Muhammed Javed, MD ; physician, Bradford Regional Medical Center/Olean General Hospital Re-elected to serve on the board of directors during the annual meeting were the...

Dental hygienists Debra Jacob, RDH, BS, PHDHP, and Beth Pantuso, RDH, PHDHP, of Bradford Regional Medical Center’s (BRMC’s) McKean County Dental Center at 600 Chestnut Street Extension have both become certified as public health dental hygiene practitioners. Each earned their certification from the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry, said BRMC officials. Ms. Jacob has 28 years of experience and Ms. Pantuso has eight years of experience. A public health dental hygiene practitioner may perform dental hygiene services without the supervision of a dentist at schools, correctional facilities, healthcare facilities, personal care homes, domiciliary care facilities, adult daily living centers, federally qualified health centers, and public or private institutions. The dental center’s operating hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 362-8478 for appointments, or for more information about services go online at www.brmc.com. Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean Gener...

The senior management team has been named for Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), the newly formed parent company of Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital. “We’ve taken significant efforts to assemble an experienced and talented management team to lead Upper Allegheny Health System and its two member hospitals. This senior-level team has an ability to lead in challenging environments,” said UAHS President and CEO Timothy J. Finan. “Equally important, UAHS leadership will work tirelessly to improve the ability of the hospitals to recruit physicians and other clinical professionals, manage healthcare costs and to develop programs and services that respond to regional healthcare needs,” he said. The newly named UAHS team includes: Richard Braun has been appointed as UAHS Senior Vice President of Finance/Chief Financial Officer. In his new position, he will oversee the entire financial function of UAHS’ member hospitals, including revenue management and supply-cycle...

A silent auction over the holidays for 21 employee-donated wreaths and swags at Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) raised $719 toward Bradford Area High School's ongoing fundraising effort to purchase a ventilator, says Stacy Williams, the hospital’s director of Annual Giving and Volunteer Services. Auction proceeds benefit “First Breath,” a fundraising effort to purchase a ventilator for BRMC’s Respiratory Services Department, she says. The First Breath fundraising campaign was started by a Bradford High student who had a desire to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Health Care and her need to participate in a leadership program. Steve Mongillo, a Bradford High guidance counselor, says, "This was quite an undertaking for one student. The school and other students would like to see this project through and will continue to work on fundraising efforts." Earlier fundraising activities included a walk-a-thon at Callahan Park and a coin drive.

By George Nianiatus, senior writer Communications Department Educating the public throughout McKean County about hospice care services for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families will be among the primary goals of newly appointed hospice coordinator Martha Dibble, RN-C. Hospice care is provided by Bradford Regional Medical Center’s McKean County VNA & Hospice, located at 20 School St., Bradford. Even if death is near, there’s something to be said for quality of life. Hospice care can provide in-home services which can mean so much for individuals with life-limiting illnesses and their families, says Mrs. Dibble. “I want to educate the public and healthcare professionals on how hospice focuses on quality of life and families,” says Mrs. Dibble. “I feel drawn to hospice and the incredible service it can provide to patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families,” she adds. The new hospice coordinator has been working in the health field for more than 30 year...

Sarah A. Dwyer (right) of Bradford gets her blood pressure checked by Brittney Mattern, RN, of Bradford Regional Medical Center during Wednesday’s Kidney Early Evaluation Program screening held at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Sixty people registered for the free screening designed to determine if people could have kidney disease. The KEEP screening was conducted by staff from the National Kidney Foundation, BRMC’s Center for Diabetes and Nutrition Education, BRMC’s Laboratory, DaVita Health Care Center, Community Nurses Inc. and the Pennsylvania Health Department. ( Photo Courtesy of BRMC )

SACKS Resale Shop Manager Penny Woodmansee (left) and Audrey Gilligan, assistant manager, display a sample clothing voucher. Through a new grant from the United Way of Bradford, vouchers have been given to three local organizations for use in the Bradford store at 26 Pine St. that’s operated by Bradford Hospital Auxiliary. (Photo Courtesy of BRMC) A $500 grant from the United Way of the Bradford Area will enable Bradford Hospital Auxiliary’s SACKS Resale Shop to provide clothing vouchers to three local organizations seeking to help needy individuals. “We will be able to give clothing vouchers in equal amounts to the YWCA of Bradford, Catholic Charities and the American Red Cross. These local organizations will then give the vouchers to people with clothing needs,” says Virginia Digel-Neel, the Auxiliary’s executive director. The clothing vouchers will be given to individuals deemed eligible by the YWCA, Catholic Charities or the Red Cross, Mrs. Digel-Neel says. Qualifying individuals g...

Three nursing scholarship recipients were recognized during the annual Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) Volunteer Luncheon on Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Hosted by BRMC’s Volunteer Services, the Bradford Hospital Auxiliary and the Bradford Hospital Foundation, the event awarded scholarships in two separate programs sponsored by the Auxiliary and the Foundation. The Auxiliary’s $2,000 nursing scholarship was awarded to Katherine Gleason of Bradford. She is a nursing student at Jamestown Community College and works as a maternal/child technician in BRMC’s Maternal/Child Health Department, said Virginia Digel-Neel, the Auxiliary’s executive director. The scholarship from the Auxiliary goes to a student seeking an associate’s degree in nursing and has the goal of becoming a registered nurse, she said. Also at the luncheon, two $1,000 scholarships were awarded by the Foundation from the Doris Winship Newton Nurse Education Fund. The recipients were Celinda A...

Stacy Williams (left), director of Volunteer Services at Bradford Regional Medical Center, gives a service pin to Ruth Hahn for 20 years of volunteer work. The annual volunteer luncheon was held Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. ( Photo Courtesy of BRMC ) Approximately 200 Bradford Regional Medical Center volunteers, many who also serve as members of Bradford Hospital Auxiliary, were honored Thursday during an annual luncheon at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The event was held during National Hospital Week, celebrated from May 11-17. In his opening remarks, BRMC President/CEO George E. Leonhardt said the Auxiliary members and volunteers are the people who feel connected to the community and understand the necessity to serve others. “You recognize that the reason you were blessed with talent is so that you can help to make your world a little better place,” he said. Auxiliary President Beverly Gallup said the Auxiliary was founded 76 years ago by a group ...

Bradford Regional Medical Center’s (BRMC) employees were honored and recognized for their importance Thursday during the annual Service Awards Banquet with the theme “Where Healing Happens Every Day.” The event was held during National Hospital Week, which runs from May 11-17. Dennis Geitner, Vice President of Human Resources, told those at The Bradford Club the banquet was “celebrating our most valuable asset - BRMC employees. It’s a chance to recognize the dedicated employees who provide quality care to the communities we serve.” In his talk preceding the awards presentation, Mr. Geitner also spoke about BRMC’s new Employee Corporate Culture philosophy which focuses on excellence. “We develop strategies that differentiate us from our competitors,” he said, noting BRMC is customer-driven to provide the best possible care by anticipating needs and expectations. Additionally, “We seek to employ the best possible people, providing the support necessary for our employees to learn, grow an...

Marianne Kahle (left), director of Food Nutrition & Services at Bradford Regional Medical Center, and Susan Panah, D.O., an internal medicine specialist, lead a group during the inaugural “BRMC Walking For Community Wellness” on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. The walk covered a one-mile distance from BRMC to Callahan Park and back. More than 50 participated in this walk for employees and the community. The first walk of the day began at 7:30 a.m. and the third was at 5:30 p.m. All walkers were eligible for a list of giveaways, including pedometers, pocket calendars aqua clips to hold water bottles, Frisbees and sunscreen. The event is one of many celebrations held during National Hospital Week, designed to focus public attention on the many contributions hospitals make to their communities. ( Photo Courtesy of BRMC )

Rows of candles were aglow Wednesday evening outside Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) to pay tribute to the tireless healthcare efforts of all current and retired nurses. A candelight ceremony was held in front of BRMC’s Outpatient Services Center as part of National Nurses Week which began May 6 and concludes May 12, the birthday of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. The national week’s theme is “Nurses Making A Difference Every Day.” In honor of their work, a candle-lighting ceremony was led by Deborah A. Price, the hospital’s senior vice president of Patient Care Services. Candles were individually lit from one to another in the crowd of more than 60. Meanwhile, nurses on shift at the hospital joined from inside by using glowsticks from windows above the scene. Prior to the lighting ceremony, Edwin O. Pecht, chairman of BRMC’s Board of Directors, said in his opening remarks, “We honor all nurses tonight - those currently serving our community with their special caring...